'Yes,' Jandra said, standing to face the sun-dragon. Hex bore a family resemblance to Shandrazel, the same vivid red coloring of his scales fading to orange and yellow tips. Hex's eyes were a dark green, almost black, similar in shade to the ivy that covered the castle's rocky walls, while Shandrazel's were a brighter emerald. The deep wrinkles around Hex's eyes made it apparent that he was many years older than Shandrazel.
'I've heard of you,' said Hex. 'It's rumored you command the same supernatural powers as the wizard.'
'I won't claim to be his equal,' said Jandra. 'Still, I'm improving. I'm flattered you've heard of me. I'm a little embarrassed I hadn't heard of you.'
'You aren't the one who should be embarrassed,' said Shandrazel, apologetically. 'Our father was a strict adherent to the old ways. After Hex lost the contest, my father never spoke of him again. It's my father who deserves the shame here.'
Androkom said, 'We can discuss family history later. Every second counts if we hope to find Blasphet. Wake the prisoner.'
Jandra didn't like the new high biologian. She found him overly bossy. Still, he was right. There was no point in putting this off.
'How will you wake her?' asked Hex. 'With magic? It's said that you command the elements.'
'I'll command an element, all right,' Jandra said, walking toward the bath. She reached down and picked up a wooden bucket that sat at the edge. It was already full of water. She headed back to the bound girl. 'Call it magic if you want.'
She upended the bucket, aiming the deluge at the girl's shaved head. The prisoner coughed and sputtered in the aftermath. Her eyes jerked open.
'Where am-' The girl's face went pale, as if she were terrified by the sound of her own voice. She struggled within her cotton cocoon. Her wide eyes darted around the room.
'That's right. You can talk,' said Jandra. 'Where's Blasphet?'
'I'm a Sister of the Serpent!' the girl screeched, arching her back as she strained against her bonds. 'I'll kill you all!'
'Sister,' said Jandra, putting her foot on the girl's belly and forcing her back down, 'You're not killing anybody tonight. You may as well relax and answer our questions.'
The girl grew quiet, glaring at Jandra. She stuck out her tongue defiantly. Then with a sudden jerk of her jaw, she bit an inch from the tip. Tears filled her eyes as she rocked her head back and forth, blood speckling her cheeks.
'Oh for the love of…' Jandra grumbled, picking up the tongue. 'I can keep sticking this thing on all night.' Although, in truth, she wasn't looking forward to putting her fingers near the girl's mouth with her awake.
'Dissolve her teeth,' said Androkom.
'What?' said Jandra. 'No!'
'Why is the idea so repellant?' asked Androkom. 'This human is willing to maim herself. If you dissolve her teeth she won't bite off her tongue again.
'I know,' said Jandra. 'But…'
'It would be torture to maim a captured foe,' said Pet. She was surprised by his intervention. Pet had his shoulders pulled back and his head held high. He could look like a confident leader when the role demanded it. 'Stand your ground, Jandra. I was a victim of Albekizan's torture. The day when helpless humans suffer beneath the talons of dragons must be at an end.'
'She wouldn't be suffering beneath the talons of a dragon,' said Androkom, frustrated to be explaining the obvious. 'Jandra's human.'
'It's you who gave the command,' said Pet. Jandra wondered why Pet was so willing to talk back to Androkom. Was he trying to impress her?
'No one is giving anyone commands but me,' Shandrazel said. 'I may wish to be the king who brings an end to kings, but, at this moment, I am king. Jandra, I respect your aversion to hurting another. Still, the information this woman possesses is of utmost value. Perhaps losing her teeth will make her more cooperative. Will you reconsider?'
'No!' said Pet.
Jandra was a little annoyed he spoke for her. 'No,' she said. 'I have no qualms about using my powers in self defense, but this is too much to ask.'
'This is what I was talking about,' Hex said, in a scolding tone directed at Shandrazel. 'King for barely a week and already you would issue a command to torture. What degree of physical pain will you need to inflict to break the will of a fanatic who bites off her own tongue?'
'We shouldn't be discussing this with her listening,' said Androkom.
'Agreed,' said Shandrazel. He nodded toward the small army of guards that had by now gathered in the courtyard. 'Take her to the dungeons. Secure her tightly. I'll be down in the morning with… further orders.'
Pet leaned close to Jandra. 'I'm proud of you,' he said.
'I'm a little surprised by you,' she whispered. 'I didn't expect you to stand up to Shandrazel.'
He placed a hand on her shoulder and drew his lips closer to her ear as he whispered back, 'I'm a little surprised myself. But, having been on the receiving end of torture, I honestly don't want to see it inflicted on even my worst enemy.'
The warmth of his hand seemed to fill her entire body. She found her eyes drawn to his lips, and the pearly white teeth that gleamed behind them. Propelled by instincts she didn't quite understand, she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her in a strong hug. Her cheek was pressed against his bare shoulder. He stank of fish, but beneath that was a musky aroma, the smell of his sweat. It took all her power to resist sticking out her tongue to taste him. What was happening to her?
As she thought the question, something in the helmet found the answer. His sweat was full of chemicals, tiny jigsaw pieces that locked into receptors in her nose in a perfect mating process. Was this was lust felt like? She'd never been attracted to a man before. To whom was she supposed to be attracted? The brutish slaves the sun- dragons hunted for sport? The thuggish dockworkers that populated Richmond? Human men had always seemed so animalistic when compared to the refined and mannerly dragons. Now, the idea of being an animal found a certain resonance within her. Her heart raced as she took a long, deep breath of Pet's scent. She closed her eyes, feeling her body melting into his arms.
Was this so bad? What could this lead to?
The helmet suddenly flooded her mind with what it could lead to. She jerked her eyes opened and pushed Pet away.
'Enough hugging,' she said. 'There's work to be done.'
Pet looked a little hurt. She swung around, unable to face him, certain that her lust was written in tall clear letters on her face. She was tempted to remove her helmet. What was the advantage of having sharpened senses if she lost all control of them? But was it so bad to lose control? Eventually, she would experience intimacy with a man, and Pet wasn't such a bad candidate. He brushed his teeth, kept his nails trimmed, and seemed to be fairly experienced. Who better to learn from?
She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, feeling her nails pressing into her palms. This had to stop.
'I'm leaving the castle,' she said. 'There's too much I need to do.'
'What?' asked Pet. 'Right now? It's after midnight. The only thing we need to do is get to bed.'
She shook her head. 'I'm too keyed up after the attacks to sleep. I had planned to leave soon to find Bit… to find Zeeky. She told me she was from a village known as Big Lick. I want to make sure she gets home safely.'
'Why is this so urgent?' Pet asked.
'There's just a lot to do. I want to see Zeeky, I want to find out what happened to Ven's body, and now Blasphet's on the loose. The only one I have any real information about is Zeeky. I'll go find her, get that out of the way, and then come back.' Hopefully, by the time she returned, her senses would no longer be so erratic.
'I need you here,' Pet said. 'We both know you're the smart one. I need you at the summit.'
'You'll be fine,' said Jandra. 'You stood up to the dragons just now. You… you're a better man than you think you are.'
Hex approached them as they spoke. 'Pardon my interruption. If you wish to travel, I volunteer as your transportation. It was never my intention to linger here at the castle. I possess a powerful lust to see the world.'
